An Empty Egg Carton Is All You Need To Freeze Sauce Portions

Have you ever had an overabundance of egg cartons and wondered just what you could do with them all? Consider up-cycling them for use as storage for leftover sauce. While a standard ice cube tray may be too small and a gallon freezer bag too large, an egg carton provides the perfect size in which to freeze a dozen or more individual portions of sauce.

It is a very simple process. Using the bottom half of the carton, pour whatever sauce you have to about three quarters of the way full. Remember, as your sauce is liquid, it will expand when frozen. Cover the filled carton with a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn, and place it in the freezer. Most homemade sauces will last up to six months when frozen. 

You can do this with any type of sauce you might want to use individual servings of, such as tomato-based pasta sauce, pesto of any kind, or even a nice, thick charred salsa. When you're ready to use the sauce, simply remove the portions you want from the egg carton and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator for at least two hours — that way they will reconstitute and spread easier over whatever you're planning on using it for. Keep in mind, however, you can't just use any old egg carton to make this trick work.

The only types of egg cartons that are appropriate for this hack are ones that are made of clear plastic and styrofoam since they can be properly sanitized. Egg cartons made of paperboard, while more eco-friendly, cannot be cleaned and will fall apart if in contact with moisture for too long. 

Clear plastic or styrofoam can be recycled, albeit in a different way. These types of egg cartons can be cleaned and used multiple times — all you need is some warm water and soap. Once they are dry, you can fill them with sauce. Keep in mind, if want to reuse your carton, you can remove the frozen sauce pods and store in a freezer bag. Then you can simply wash and repeat.

Though they are both a variety of plastic, don't expect your sauce to react the same way to each. Your sauce will need more time to freeze in styrofoam because it is a better insulator than clear plastic. Whichever you decide, just know that this is just one of a number of different ways in which to utilize egg cartons.